The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1887-04-06
THE LABOR HORIZON.
Items of Interest to Employers and
Employed.
The Boom I'm All Industries Continues
building Interests Looking Prosper
ous-The Labor Organizations.
From the Philadelphia Record. !

skilled and unskilled labor, and no
general advance in the rate of machine
shop and mill labor is regarded as
probable. Employers are taking more
decided grounds against labor dictation
ana demands, and are gaining an occa-
sional victory. The general industrial
prospect Is inviting, and great amount
OF work is awaiting its turn. Raw ma
terial is scarce, stocks are everywhere
low, mills are sold up, and frequently
orders are not accepted Trade organ
lzatlons are strong and confident, and
if labor disputes can be avoided the
year VIII be one of phenomenal pros
perity.
Cotton goods manufacturers are not
meeting with as much success in estab-
fishing an export trade as their me-
chanical appliances, cheap fuel and
cheap cotton call for. Great Britain's
cotton goods expectations last year
were 4,o5O,O00,0O0 yards, while this
country's shipments fell below 200, 000,-
OOO yards. China takes six yards of
British cotton cloth to one from us;
South America, sixteen; Central Amer
lea, seven. The East Indies take nearly
one'half of the British product. Brazil
takes over 24O, 900, 900 yards from Great
Britain, while we export less than
5000, 900 yards.
The salesgirls of the Grand street,
New York, dry goods stores have formed
two assemblies. The reporters on the
! New York dailies have been granted
charter, which is the first of its kind.
The New York elevator-men have been
/ fnllinn on1 thi,txy % hn,
been expelled. The jewellers have an
assembly of their own. The dry goods
statesmen consider themselves the most
aristocratic assembly in the order.
The great membership of District AS
sembly No. 40 is to be reduced by the
formation of six industrial councils.
The building trades in all large cities
west of the Alleghenies are better or
gained this year than last, but for all
that more conservatism prevails. The
number of strikes is trihing Stone
masons and bricklayers evince strong
dislike to idleness during the building
season. The plumbers and painters are
more inclined to make trouble. PYin-
tiers are finding increased employment.
Machinists find work more abundant
and wages better than they have been
for years.
Late reports from Western cities
show that great activity in building
! operations will prevail. Small houses,
something after the Philadelphia pat
tern, will be erected in large numbers,
which can be rented or sold on reason
able terms. Workingmen are exhibit
ing a desire to buy, and in many local
tiles every opportunity is offered them
to obtain homes.
The textile manufacturers here and
elsewhere have been greatly encouraged
by the steady inflow of orders during
the past few weeks. Prices are higher
and the tone of the market firmer
Manufacturers are, therefore, ordering
additional capacity. All the machinery
making establishments are very busy,
and no labor troubles exist or are
threatened.
A hosiery mill is to be erected at
Louisville. A large cotton mill addi-
tion is being made at Rome. The South
ern textile mill capacity will be largely
increased this summer. Within thirty
miles of Charlotte, \. c., twelve cotton
factories turn out 100000 worth of
goods annually.
Manufacturers generally are increas-
ing their output and booking orders for
future delivery at the same mill or fac
tory price that has been ruling for the
past three months. The upward ten
dency in prices has been arrested, but
the upward tendency in wages con-
tinues.
All through the New England iron
centers there is great activity. The
loom manufacturers have all they can
do. Cotton-goods mills are particu-
larry active, The car shops are driven
TO their fullest capacity, and all the
New England roads are adding to their
rolling stock.
A Manchester Eng mechanic, after
taking bids for the furnishing of flexi-
BILE shoe-nailing machines in several
English machinery centers, placed his
order in Boston, where he found he
could make them cheaper, including
ocean freghts.
American pump-makers are crowding
English-made pumps out of the Indian
markets. They are even selling in En-
gland, and have forced English prices
down. The competition is both in
hand and horsepower pumps.
The miners in the East have shared
in the improvement, but in the West
more or less latent discomfort exists.
All through the Ohio Valley the iron,
COAL lumber, and machinery interests
are prospecting.
Boot and shoe employers say their
employees are earning higher wages
than are paid to workers in any other
mechanical industry. They say the
average is for women 50, for men at
the bench, $l5 to SIS.
Thousands of women and girls in
New York who have heretofore worked
in shops are now working at home as
manufacturers, find ing the item of shop
expenses equal to fair margin of profit.
The boot and shoe lockout continues
in Massachusetts,, and neither side ex-
hibits signs of weakening. Nearly one
half the usual force is at work, it is
said, on the non-union basis.
Less than 10000 men struck during
March. Fifteen thousand iron and steel
employees in Chicago and the North
west have had their wages increased 8
per cent.
Tho backbOne of the dyers' strike in